The Dare Collection November 2018. Christy McKellen

rushed mess. He nudged me into an empty spot at the table where an indecently high pile of neatly stacked chips stood and fenced me in, his hands braced on either side of me.

      When it became clear he wasn’t going to continue, I glanced over my shoulder. ‘And for another?’

      He paused, stormy grey eyes weighing me. ‘I believe in brutal honesty, Leonora.’

      ‘That works for me, too.’

      ‘Good. Then you won’t be surprised to hear I’m attracted to you. Insanely so.’

      Heat licked my skin, inside and out. ‘Gideon—’

      ‘So watching some tosser kiss your skin doesn’t exactly put me in a good mood.’

      ‘That would explain your rudeness, then.’

      ‘I wanted him out of the way,’ he breathed into my ear.

      The heavy thudding in my chest went against every instinct to remain objective. As did the sudden craving to lean back against the heated column of hard body. ‘But that wasn’t just simple jealousy,’ I said. I’d seen something more in his eyes.

      Again, he hesitated for an uncomfortable stretch. ‘No, it wasn’t. Someone I trusted took what belonged to me. More than one someone, actually. Between them they destroyed something precious. And I’ve discovered that a double betrayal has wrecked my ability to be rational in certain situations.’

      The raw admission in the middle of the crowded casino staggered me. Enough for me to drop my guard, to let in a kinship I’d never felt before. ‘I know what that feels like,’ I found myself replying.

      His expression shifted, a little of that edge dissipating to leave that sizzling sex appeal threatening to drown me.

      ‘Then you’ll forgive any future transgressions.’

      God, how was it that even that wry self-condemnation was beyond sexy?

      ‘I don’t belong to you, Gideon,’ I stressed, perhaps more for me than for him.

      He shifted to stand beside me, a wicked smile curving his sensuous lips as his gaze swept over me. He stared at my mouth for an interminable age, prompting a yearning to slick my tongue over my tingling flesh. ‘Point taken.’ His voice was thicker, deeper, his eyelashes sweeping low and seductive. ‘But don’t forget the warning, all the same.’

      ‘Place your bets, please.’

      The croupier’s accented request shattered our strange little cocoon. I yanked my gaze from Gideon’s but he continued to stare at me.

      ‘What?’ I asked after charged seconds.

      ‘Let’s make a wager.’

      I shook my head. ‘I’m all gambled out for the night.’

      ‘Scared?’

      I shrugged. ‘I’m not a huge fan of sharks but I swim in the ocean. And I also know when to get out.’

      ‘Take a last dip with me,’ he coaxed. ‘One small bet.’ Contrary to his words, the pile of chips he pushed towards the croupier amounted to tens of thousands of euros.

      ‘Why?’

      He sent me a cryptic glance. ‘I like to keep things...interesting.’

      An alien need to throw caution to the wind seized me and this time I couldn’t even blame the champagne swiftly fading from my system. ‘What happens if you win?’

      ‘We discuss business...and you spend the rest of the evening with me.’

      A steady pulsing between my legs joined the strumming in my chest. ‘And if you lose?’

      ‘You get to call the shots on how the evening goes. You can stay or you can leave.’

      I hesitated, common sense warning that I was playing with fire.

      His eyes gleamed, made another hot pass over my mouth. ‘Make up your mind, Leonora. The crowd is growing impatient.’

      A quick glance testified to that. ‘Okay, we have a deal.’

      The words were barely out of my mouth before he nodded to the croupier. As was the norm when staggering sums were at stake, the table went quiet, all eyes on the cards that were doled out and then sequentially revealed.

      His arrogant smile said he’d expected to win.

      He lost.

      While I winced inwardly at the small fortune being scooped up by the croupier, Gideon barely glanced at it, his attention again fixed on me.

      I wetted suddenly dry lips, attempted to tell myself I hadn’t won any special prize. All I wanted was to finalise our business, tell him I was taking myself off the crew and leave.

      The electricity zapping through my system told me differently. For one thing, he was leaning close, way too close, his gaze on my face. ‘I’m in your hands now, Leonora. Your wish is my command.’

      ‘Talk,’ I blurted. ‘Let’s find somewhere to talk. Like we intended to...before.’

      A smile whispered over his lips as he held out his arm. ‘Of course. I know just the place.’

      The private salon he led me to was opulent, decadent and empty.

      The fireworks detonating beneath my skin grew bolder. Wilder. I attempted to mitigate the sensation by taking several steps away from him. But not once did Gideon’s eyes stray from me. I was very much aware he was tracking me as I pretended to inspect every inch of the room.

      ‘How many private gaming rooms did you rent out for the night?’ I asked, turning away from that hypnotic gaze to drift my fingers over the velvet blackjack table.

      ‘Three, but Vadim and his entourage seem to prefer the roulette room.’

      I stopped, surprised. ‘Your client’s already here?’

      He nodded, prowling slowly towards me. ‘That’s why I cancelled our dinner. Vadim likes to play games. I suspected he’d pull something like this so I came prepared.’

      So he hadn’t been delayed by the brunette. The strong relief that washed over me made me frown. ‘Do I need to be prepared to sail early, too? I might need to make a few calls to the crew members if—’

      Gideon’s head shake stopped me. ‘He’s a heavy gambler. He won’t be ready to leave the casino until Sunday night at the earliest.’

      My relief evaporated a moment later when Gideon arrived in front of me. ‘I don’t like to encroach on another man’s property, Leonora, so tell me there isn’t some guy climbing the walls somewhere while you’re here meeting with me.’

      ‘Is that your trust issue rearing its head again?’

      Cold, brutal anger shifted through his eyes before it evaporated. Strangely, I wasn’t terrified because I knew it wasn’t directed at me. ‘Very much so.’

      ‘There’s no guy,’ I replied.

      ‘Good,’ he said, but just when I thought he’d move closer, he straightened and put the width of the table between us. ‘You wanted to talk business. Let’s hear it, Leonora.’

      The long, shaky breath I took was filled with him. Hell, his scent invaded me everywhere, including places I desperately wanted him. ‘No one calls me Leonora.’

      ‘Then I’m honoured that you grant me that privilege.’

       Oh, God.

      Right. Business. ‘I wanted to know more about your client. His needs.’

      ‘Anything with a fast engine to get Vadim from the yacht to a casino or nightclub when we dock will suffice. And several bucketloads of caviar—he consumes the stuff like it’s oxygen. Any other form of entertainment he will provide for himself.’